Mechanical apparatus



Jam `26, 1965 c. c. RoEssLER 3,166,960

MECHANICAL APPARATUS Filed Jan. 8, 1962 INVENTOR.

Pfg. 7 cHARLlEs c. RoEssLER ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,l66,960MECHANICAL APPARATUS Charies C. Rcessier, Warminster, Pa., assigner toAmerican Manufacturing Company, Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation ofDelaware Filed Jan. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 164,884 Claims. (Cl. 81-9.1)

This invention relates to a novel seal crimping tool and in particularto a scaling tool for use with nonmetallic strapping materials.

Metallic strapping materials and metallic seals for fixing the ends ofthe strap together are well known in the packaging art. While metalstrapping has many uses it also has many disadvantages. For example,metal does not easily go around right-angle corners of packages andtherefore, when packages are standing, there is a point of maximumpressure applied to the metal strap at the edge. Furthermore, the metalused for metal strapping is relatively thin and therefore lthe edges arerelatively sharp. If metal strapping suddenly is released from its sealor is broken during movement of the package, for example, it may strikea workman withcon;l siderable force thereby possibly causing seriousbodily injury. Another disadvantage of metal strapping is that when itis removed from bound packages it is diiiicult to store it convenientlybefore disposal thereof or to salvage any of the scrap material. v

Accordingly it has been proposed to utilize a strapping material made ofsynthetic plastic such as oriented librous polypropylene. This plasticmaterial is meltextruded, cooled, and thereafter stretched from betweensix to ten times its initial extruded length while being subjected to atemperature in the range between 250- 300 Fahrenheit. The stretchingoperaiton enables the strap to be applied under tension to the packageto be bound without further stretching due to that tension. Thereafter,when the seal has been aixed the strap will not become loose. Thisplastic strapping material is capable of great llexibility so that itcan go around the rightangle edges of packages with more compliance thanmetal strapping. Furthermore, unlike metal strapping it does notdisigure the container due to corrosion, nor does it present the samedanger to workmen should the strapping become released during movement,for example.

Since this material is highly oriented andV fibrous, it preferablyshould be sealed by appropriate seals and sealing techniqueswell-adapted to its particular characteristics.

In the prior art, the seal was usually a generally U- shaped metaldevice having a base and two parallel sides. The seal was placed aroundoverlapping ends of the metal strapping after it had been tensioned by aspecial tool. When the sealing or crimping tool was placed around it andthe jaws of the tool were closed, the sides of the seal were pressedinward toward one another at against the strapping and, in addition,pressure was exerted by the crimping tool on the seal and strap :in adirection transverse to the plane of the strapping. This transversepressure caused deformation of the seal and the strap which itsurrounded at certain points in a direction transverse to the plane ofthe strap. Sometimes this deformation actually resulted in flaps beingcut into the seal and the enclosed metal strapping. These apsjwhich wereangled downwardly, locked the metallic strap with the metallic seal toprevent slippage of the ends of the strap out of the seal. For metallicstrapping materials this method was quite effective but for .plasticstrapping it is not well suited.

As stated above, plastic strapping material, especially highly-orientedfibrous materials such as polypropylene,

ididd Fatented Jan. Z5, 1965 ice are made by stretching them aftermelt-extrusion. This stretching orients the molecules of the plasticmaterial and prevents it from appreciable ifurther stretching during thestrap-tensioning operation so that the strap remains taut. Since thestrapping material is relatively less strong in a direction transverseto its longitudinal axis than it is in the longitudinal direction,subjecting it to stresses or cutting flaps in i-t will cause thestrapping material to disintegrate and to shred when the strappingmaterial undergoes high tension. Thus, conventional seal-crimpingdevices cannot be successfully used with plastic strapping material -tomaintain the seals against the tensions usually employed with suchstrapping rnaterials.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a novelseal-crimping device for use with non-metallic strapping materials.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel crimping devicefor seals to be used to fasten plastic strapping materials together.

Yet another aim of the invention is to provide a novel seal crimpingdevice for crimping seals to be used with iibrous plastic strappingmaterials.

Still other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilledin the art from an examination of the specications, claims, and drawingsherein.

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view of the novel crimping device with thehandles in the maximum outward position.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view of my novel device with one of itscover plates removed to show its internal structure more clearly whenthe handles have been moved toward one another a considerable amount.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the device taken along the section line3 3 oi FIGURE 2 in the direction of the arrows shown therein.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the device taken along the section line4 4 of FIGURE 2 in the direction of the arrows shown therein.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the device taken along the section line5 5 of FIGURE 2 in the direction of the arrows shown therein.

FIGURE 6 is a partial side elevation view of part of the jaws shown whenthe handles have been moved toward one another to the maximum inwardposition.

FIGURE 7 shows a before and after view of a seal processed by my novelcrimping device.

These and other objects of the invention are accomplished according tomy invention by providing a tool which produces a number ofsubstantially identical corrugations in the seal and the materialenclosed thereby, the corrugations being transverse to the longitudinalaxis of the strap. The device comprises a pair of handles which, throughintermediate linkage, are connected to two sets of opposed upper jaws.When the handles are closed the linkage causes the jaws to come downover the upper edges of the seal and to press the opposite sides of theseal toward one another and down over the overlapping strap ends.Further movement of the handles of the closed position causes meansassociated with the jaw linkage to move another set of jaws up againstthe back ot the seal and to push the seal and the overlapping strapcontained therein between the spaces between the upper jaws. By sodoing, there are formed in the seal a series of transverse parallelcorrugations, which are considerably deeper than deformations producedby conventional strapping devices. However, no cutting of the plasticstrapping matcrial occurs so that there is no weakening of the bondunder the tensions required for taut binding of packages.

As stated above, the crimping produced by my invention is done in atwo-step operation although only one continuous movement of the handlesis required to eiect it.l As seen in FlGS. 1, 2 and 3, there are twocylindrical handles 32a and 32!) to which three rigid members 30a, 33hand Stic are attached as by bolts as Shown in FlG. 1. The members 36in,Sil-b and 30e pivot about a pin or shaft 4@ which is spun on inapertures in the'outer plates and 12 which are substantially parallel toone another and are generally shaped like a shield. Two other pins 21and 23, arranged parallel to one another, are spun on in apertures inthe plates lil and l2. Also, two parallel pins 13a and 13b passtransversely through the plates lill and 12 and have nuts screwed ontotheir ends as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

The member Stia has an aperture in its upper end through which pivot pin3S extends and to which levers 23h and 28C are coupled. The members Suband 39C have aligned apertures through which pins 33a and 33h pass andto which levers 28a and 28d are pivotally coupled. To cach of themembers 28o and 28h are coupled a pair of S-shaped members 26a and 17a,and to each of the levers 23h and 28C are coupled corresponding members2511 and l'lb, by means of a vertically movable pivoting pin 31. Theends of pin 31 ride up and down within the opposed slots 8 and 9 in theplates 12 and it) respectively in the manner to be explained below.

To the pair of members 17a and 26a are coupled three movable upper jawmembers 14a, 14h and 14e by means of movable pivot pin 2,7. To the pairot members lb and Zdb are coupled, by means of a movable pin 29 whichpasses through them all, an opposing set of upper jaws 15a, 15b and 1de.It will be seen that when the upper jaws are in their open positon asshown in FG. 1, the pin 31 is toward the bottom of the slots 8 and 9 andthe two sets of opposing upper jaws are so positioned that their loweractive edges i6 do not touch the upper edges of the seal 1S shown in anend-on view.

Movement of the handles 32a and 32h toward one another causes the pins33 and 35 to move toward one another and thereby causes the pair oflinkage members 28a and 28d and the yother `pair of links 28h and 28C tomove to a vertical position thereby forcing the pin 3l upward in theslots 9 and 8. By this construction a mechanical advantage of about 50:1is obtained. Upward vertical motion of the pin 31, in turn, forces upthe ends oi` the members 17a, 1715, 26a and 26h which are coupledthereto. The other ends ofthese latter members move outwardly inresponse thereby causing the jaw members 14a, Mb, 14e and 15a, i511, 15eto pivot on their respective pivot pins 21 and 23 in opposing clockwiseand counter-clockwise directions. As a result the jaw edges lo come downon the sides 18a of the seal 13 forcing them to be folded over towardone another. FIGURE 2 shows the relative positions of the upper jawsub-assembly elements when this action is completed. It should benoticed that at the end or" this iirst inward movement of the handles32a and 32h no corrugations have yet been made in the seal 1S; only thesides have been folded over the enclosed overlapping ends of the plasticstrap.

Lower jaw operation (Ence the sides 18a ofthe seal i8 have been foldedover, the jaw members 14o, db, 14C and i511, 15b, 15C

Vdo not alter their position. Their active edges 16 serve to maintainthe position of the seal 18 against further upward movement. However, asthe handles 32a and 32h are pressed even further toward one another, itwill be seen by reference to FIGS. 2 and 6 that the pin 31 engages thelower arcuate edge of rigid linkage member Z4 whose upper end issandwiched between two substantially identical and generally rectangularjaw members 2i) and 22 having tapered upper edges similar to the loweredges 16 o the upper jaws. The lower edge of the members 2i? and 22 reston pins 13a and 13b as shown in FIGS. l and 2. The pin 2S passes throughall three members 24B, 22 and 24. Two springs Ma and 1lb are curledaround the pin 25 and anchored at their ends to the fixed pins 13a and13b. These springs tend to force the pin 2S downward and thereby tend totorce the handles 32a and 32b apart when the crimping operation has beencompleted. On further inward movement of the handles 32a and 326, thepin 3l forces the member 24 and the two jaw members 2d and 22 upwardagainst the back of the seal 1S forcing parts of the seal and the strapscontained therein upward in the spaces between adjacent ones of theupper jaw members 14o, 1.4!; and 14C and 15o, 15b, 15C thereby producinga corrugated seal as shown in part B of FIG. 7. it will be noticed thatthe crimped seal has t 'o humps in the upper direction and three humpsin the lower direction. The seal may be of steel and have a length of11/1 inches, for example. The peak-to-peak height of the seal may be onthe order of iglli". It has been found that this number of corrngationswith this depth in a seal of this length, when used with 1/2"polypropylene strap is quite satisfactory for most strapping operations.

The seal shown in FlG. 7 is known as a butt-type open seal but it shouldbe understood that other seals such as the closed, overlappedside typemay also be used, if desired.

By constructing a crimping device in accordance with my teachingsherein, a corrugated seal may be fastened about a plastic strap with asingle inward movement of the handles. This construction permits theattainment of suflicient mechanical advantage for ordinary laborers tobe able to produce deep corrugations in the seal with a device ofcompetitive size and weight.

Other applications and modications may occur to those skilled in the artfrom a perusal of the specification and drawings herein withoutdeparting from the essence of the invention. Consequently, I desire myinvention to be limited only by the claims herein.

I claim:

1. Apparatus -for fastening a seal about strapping material comprising:

first means including a rst plurality of pivoting jaw members havingspaces lbetween them for folding the sides of said seal toward oneanother over said strapping material until they are substantiallyparallel to the back of said seal, said first means also includingmovable linkage means coupled to said jaws for transmitting motionthereto, and

second means including la second plurality of jaw members which areslidably positioned between the jaw members of the rst plurality ofpivoting jaw members for engagement by said linkage means and movableresponsive to the movement of said linkage means beyond a predeterminedpoint and constructed and arranged to exert pressure at predeterminedpoints on the back of said seal to force said seal and its contents inthe region of said points into the spaces between said first jaw membersthereby to :produce a plurality of corrugations in said seal and itscontents.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said iirst and secondplurality of jaw members are parallel and have respective active edgesadapted to be disposed substantial-ly transverse to the longitudinalaxis of said seal and wherein said corrugations are accordinglysubstantially transverse to said axis.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said rst plurality of jawmembers includes two sets of oppositely-disposed jaw members and whereinsaid second plurality of jaw members includes one less jaw member thenis in each of said sets of iirst jaw members.

4. Apparatus for fastening a seal about strapping material comprising:

a first plurality of pivoting jaw members having spaces between them,

a plurality of handle members,

a plurality of interconnected rigid linkage members coupled between saidfirst plurality of jaw members and said handle members, said linkagemembers being constructed and arranged to cause said rst jaw members topress the sides of said seal inward over said strapping material untilthey are substantially parallel to the base of said seal when said saidplanar members including apertures in which pivoting means for saidpivoting jaw members are disposed and also including a plurality ofslots in which said common movable pivot pin is constrained to move,

said planar members also including an aperture in which means forpivoting said handles are disposed.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said planar members haveoppositely disposed inset po-rtions between said rst and secondpluralities of jaw members on which said seal may be set before saidhandles are moved.

9. The apparatus according to claim wherein said means `for moving saidsecond jaw memhandles are moved toward one another a predetermineddistance.

a second plurality 0f jaw members mounted in the spaces between said rstjaw members for free sliding movement toward and in a direction normalto the back of said seal, and

means directly moved by said linkage members when bers in said vgivendirection includes a rigid member said handles are moved toward oneanother more having one end sandwiched between said second jaw than saidpredetermined distance for moving said members and coupled thereto by apin, second jaw members in said direction until they said rigid memberhaving an arcuate indentation in its force parts of said seal and itscontents into the opposite end for engaging said common movable spacesbetween said first jaw members, thereby propivot pin passes through saidiirst, second, third and ducing a plurality of corrugations in said sealand vfourth pairs of links. its contents. l0. The apparatus according toclaim 9 5. The apparatus according t0 claim 4 wherein said wherein meansare provided for biasing said pin which rst plurality of pivoting jawmembers includes two sets is coupled to said rigid member and to saidsecond of parallel opposing jaws, jaw members in a direction oppositesaid given diwherein said plurality of linkage members includes rCODthereby tending 0 InOVS Said handles away first and second pairs oflinks, each pair being confrom one another. nected pivotally to one ofsaid handle members, and References Cited by the Examiner third andfourth pairs of links pivotally connected to UNITED STATES PATENTS saidrst and second pairs of links by a common movable pivot pin passingthrough them all, each 1 andler et al' eldon 1-224 X of said third andrfourth pairs of links being respec- 1 290 707 1/19 B k tively pivotallycoupled t0 a different one of said roo s' 1,893,901 1/33 McGregor et al.V0 Sets 0fPPSmg1aYVS- 35 1,901,903 3/33 Edwards. 6 Th? apparatus icofdmgt0 Clam 5 2,055,257 11/34 Maynard er a1. 1 224 x whereln each of sa1dtwo sets of parallel opposlng Jaws 2,315,596 4/43 Childress.

includes three jaw members, 2,415,896 2/47 Marsh er a1. wherein saidsecond plurality of jaw members includes 494,3 86 1/50 Gillman.

two jaw members. 2,680,979 6/54 Childress.

7. The apparatus accord-ing to claim 5 with the addition of two planarmembers disposed parallel to one another and substantially enclosingsaid first and second pluralities of jaw members,

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

WALTER H. SCHEEL, Examiner.

1. APPARATUS FOR FASTENING A SEAL ABOUT STRAPPING MATERIAL COMPRISING:FIRST MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST PLURALITY OF PIVOTING JAW MEMBERS HAVINGSPACES BETWEEN THEM FOR FOLDING THE SIDES OF SAID SEAL TOWARD ONEANOTHER OVER SAID STRAPPING MATERIAL UNTIL THEY ARE SUBSTANTIALLYPARALLEL TO THE BACK OF SAID SEAL, SAID FIRST MEANS ALSO INCLUDINGMOVABLE LINKAGE MEANS COUPLED TO SAID JAWS FOR TRANSMITTING MOTIONTHERETO, AND SECOND MEANS INCLUDING A SECOND PLURALITY OF JAW MEMBERSWHICH ARE SLIDABLY POSITIONED BETWEEN THE JAW MEMBERS OF THE FIRSTPLURALITY OF PIVOTING JAW MEMBERS FOR ENGAGEMENT BY SAID LINKAGE MEANSAND MOVABLE RESPONSIVE TO THE MOVEMENT OF SAID LINKAGE MEANS BEYOND APREDETERMINED POINT AND CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO EXERT PRESSURE ATPREDETERMINED POINTS ON THE BACK OF SAID SEAL TO FORCE SAID SEAL AND ITSCONTENTS IN THE REGION OF SAID POINTS INTO THE SPACES BETWEEN SAID FIRSTJAW MEMBERS THEREBY TO PRODUCE A PLURALITY OF CORRUGATIONS IN SAID SEALAND ITS CONTENTS.